The Principal awarding Olivia her pin and certificate at a school assembly.
Dear College of My Choice
Not too far from home
Because if it is, my mom will rent an apartment right next to me
Just so I won’t miss her too much 
You have a lot of awards that are given every year at your university. You need students to win those awards. This is where I come in. I will win all your awards. I have been doing it since kingergarten.
That’s right. I earned THE FIRST award ever possible in my academic career – the first award given in the first year of my formal education. And it’s because I am awesome.
And respectful. The award was a school award for a student who exemplifies respect. It came with a school pin and a certificate. Of course, I expect your awards come with scholarships and living stipends.
I am sure your university is a great place, but imagine if you can, how much more fabulous it will be if I am there.
Sincerely, your future rock star student,
Olivia Claire Christensen
PS – check out my ACT and GPA. It will floor you!
Jared and Wyatt working on the deck (or sleeping on the job!)
Today I was in my room folding laundry when I heard a knock on the door. Then the door opens, and I hear a voice calling for me, but I don’t recognize it. When I come out it’s Jared, but he sounds funny.
He says: “Can I use your hubablaboo?” (And I understood him to mean, can I use your bathroom) And I look at him trying to decide if he’s being funny – but the humor is falling flat.
And he says again: “Can I use your hugbalkasdf?”
And I ask “what” and he says: “I need to use your habuskavoo”
And I ask him: “Wait, are you being serious?”
Then he pushes past me and starts going towards the stairs. He says: “I need to take a baloogavajoo.” (I understood him to mean, I need to take a shower. But then I could tell there was something seriously wrong. It reminded me of my neighbor Kathy)
And I grab his arm and say – “Use my bathroom, don’t go downstairs.” (I didn’t want him to go downstairs because I was afraid he would fall or pass out and I wouldn’t be able to get him back upstairs. At this point I knew he had to go to the doctors).
But now he’s kinda fighting me on this, and trying to go downstairs. So I tell him no, he can’t go downstairs, in fact he has to go with me, RIGHT NOW, to the doctors. And I start pulling him to the door. At the same time I call Wyatt – because, miraculously, my phone happened to be in my hand. I tell him he better come home RIGHT NOW and take Jared to the ER or I’m going to call the ambulance.
Jared sits down on my bench because he can’t go any further. He’s trying to talk to me, but every fourth word is just jibberish. Then he starts throwing up.
Wyatt comes home and they rush off for the ER (made a stop at the insta-care first, they told him to go on to the ER). At first I thought it might be carbon monoxide poisoning, as did Jared – between the words he could say, and what I could interpret (I think the spirit must have been with me because I was able to understand him pretty well in spite of him not talking clearly at all).
Anyway, that was a little after noon today. It’s now almost six. They determined it wasn’t carbon monoxide poisoning but a brain aneurysm instead. Wyatt took him to Alta View, and after a CT scan there, they transferred him via ambulance to the IMC hospital. There they did an angiogram? (where they put dye in the blood and then scan the brain to see where the bleed is) and as of ten minutes ago, we just got news that they are taking him in for surgery to stop the bleeding (brain surgery – I wonder what sort of scars that will leave).
Of course the doctors are covering their liabilities and told Lois and Harry that Jared might not make it through the surgery. But I had a very calm and confident feeling earlier this afternoon that Jared would be ok and everything would be all right. So I have this confidence that things will be ok.
Granted, it’s not my brother, so maybe I don’t have the initial panic, plus, I’m not a very panicky person anyways, but I just haven’t been able to feel scared today. I just feel peace that it will be fine.
Wyatt came home when they took Jared to do the angio. Right now he’s over at the neighbors, helping him put on a new roof, like he promised he would. I would get a babysitter – but alas, there are none to be found. I’ve called all of the ward and neighborhood, but everyone’s busy. I wish there was something I could do for Wyatt. It seems a little ridiculous that he’s roofing a house when his brother is in brain surgery – even if I have a confirming feeling that everything will be all right. So that’s where we are at.
Saturday – October 15th
We went back to the hospital that first night, after Jared was out of surgery. Jacob and Melinda also came down from Logan as soon as they heard, and so Jacob, Wyatt, Harry, Lois and I were all at the hospital, waiting. Jared was pretty much out for the rest of the night, but it was good to see him.
Wynn and Heidi came up on Thursday, and have been here ever since. I think it’s good for Jared to have the support of his family, even if he is pretty much asleep all the time. They kept him sedated for the first two or three days, but now don’t have him on any sedatives. He’s still kinda in a fog, but he is able to convey what he wants for the most part. When people ask him yes and no questions he seems to answer with clarity. He also is moving all his limbs, which is good.
The doctors say he will be in the hospital a minimum of three weeks. After that Heidi thinks he will be a rehab facility, which makes sense. Wyatt is in the process of tracking down all his info – bank accounts, insurance, etc. to make sure everything is taken care of. Between that and going back and forth to the hospital, he has had a very emotional and stressful week.
I am just trying to hold down the fort here at home – keep the kids going, and the house going, and have a place for people to come during the day when they take Jared to do tests, etc.
Sweet boy . . .
I have this panicked desire to record who you are at age one/two. I want to remember how your legs are so chubby, and your hands are always sticky. I want to remember how you giggle – giggle at everything, and you are most content with a soft blankie and two fingers in your mouth, lounging on your mamma or daddy’s lap. And how you greet people by running at them, full speed, to envelope them with an Ejo hug.
Last week Calvin was sent to time out – and I came around the corner, and there you were, sitting next to your brother, doing his time with him. You didn’t care if you sat at the end of the hallway, bored without toys or treats – you just wanted to be by your brother!
And Olivia, how you love your Olivia. You are always calling and checking for her. Your favorite thing these days is to walk with Olivia to the bus and go to pick her up.
You are so soft and careful with your baby Roo. You kiss him softly and help him with his binkie.
I love it when we say prayers at night – you list each member of your family –
Say daddy – Dadda
Say Mommy – Mommy
Say Olivia – Ah-Ya
Say Calvin – point to Calvin or say where he is because you can’t say Calvin yet
Say Andrew – Baby
Say Daisy – Daisy
You love your family, and we love you – more than I’m afraid you will ever know! Goodness, but you are the shining sparkle that we need for our happiness!
Love, your Mamma
For Everett’s birthday we went to South Towne Mall and rode the carousel, and then to BK for ice cream cones and the playground.
We also sang Happy Birthday to Ejo until he was grumpy. I don’t think he really understood the what the whole fuss was about. But he did like the part where we all gave him presents. We gave him a set of matchbox cars and several little balls (couple foot balls, couple soccor balls, etc – just the mini type. I figured they’d be good for the backyard.) He LOVED the matchbox cars best of all. He gathered them into his arms – there were so many they were falling out! And then he refused to share with Calvin, which was very hard for Cal, and he just played with them non stop for the next two days.
We also invited a bunch of peeps over for some cake and ice cream in celebration of our dear little Everett. We will do another family party later.
